Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station | |
---|---|
![]() | |
![]() Staithes Lifeboat Station | |
General information | |
Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Location | Staithes, North Yorkshire |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 54°33′35″N0°47′30″W / 54.5597°N 0.7917°W |
Owner | ![]() |
Website | |
Official webpage |
Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station based in the village of Staithes, North Yorkshire, England. The station was first opened in 1875 but has been closed for two periods between then and the 21st century due to a decline in the fishing industry and the ability to supply people to crew the lifeboat. It is now host to an Inshore Lifeboat (ILB).
A lifeboat at Runswick Bay, just to the south of Staithes, was established in 1866, with another at Staithes nine years later. [1] The RNLI had wished to station a lifeboat in Staithes by 1870, but had given up on the idea as there was a lack of suitable locations to site the lifeboathouse. In 1874, a wealthy donation, and a codicil in a will of a benefactor that stipulated that a lifeboat should be stationed there, enabled the RNLI to press ahead with its plans. [2] The crew used an old alum warehouse as a temporary lifeboathouse until the official RNLI one could be built. [3]
The lifeboathouse was built at Staithes in 1875 and adapted in 1910, and both Staithes and Runswick Bay lifeboat stations operated side by side, but a lack of members and a decline in the fishing fleet at Staithes, precipitated the closure of Staithes in 1922. [4] The station was re-opened in 1928 after the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries installed a harbour and breakwaters. This created a resurgence in fishing from Staithes and the RNLI provided a lifeboat. [5] The resurgence was short lived however, the station closed again in 1938. [6] In January 1978, the site was used as a testbed for the new Atlantic 21-class lifeboats. After an acceptance trial, it was decided to re-open Staithes. [7]
The station officially re-opened on 17 June 1978, with Runswick closing on 30 June 1978. The station had been operational since April 1978, when the first new ILB had been sent for trials. [8] The Staithes lifeboat occupied the same station that had been built in 1875; this building is now grade II listed. [9] The lifeboathouse is on a stretch of land known as the "Cowbar" and the slipway gentle curves towards the bay allowing the lifeboat to be launched by a tractor. [10]
The people of Runswick Bay later instituted their own independent lifeboat which is known as the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat (RBRB). By 1984, the RBRB was fully accredited with the coastguard and is part of the overall response to emergencies in the north east region, being seen as a complement to the RNLI services not as competing or hindering them. [11]
The station has a yearly Lifeboat Weekend. The event sees a nightgown parade, a fireworks display and demonstrations at sea and usually has over 2,000 people attending. The event is held across both villages of Staithes and Runswick. [12] Also occurring yearly is an auction held in the Cod and Lobster public house in the village, raising money for the RNLI lifeboat in the village, the 2023 auction raised £6,050 for the Staithes and Runswick RNLI lifeboat. [13]
...the boat was in every respect staunch and seaworthy, but that on her being launched by a strange crew for the first time, the brass ventilators opening into the air-chambers below deck were not screwed down, and consequently, when on her second voyage, she shipped in heavy seas and the air-cases filled with water and she capsized. [16]
The following are awards made at Staithes and Runswick [19]
ON [lower-alpha 1] | Name | In service [22] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hannah Somerset | 1875–1887 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [23] | |
107 | Winefride Mary Hopps | 1887–1894 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [24] |
369 | Jonathan Stott | 1894–1904 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
378 | Reserve No.4 | 1904–1907 | 36-foot Self-righting (P&S) | Formerly Elizabeth and Blanche at Penzance |
572 | James Gowland | 1907–1922 | 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) | Lifeboat Station closed 1922. [25] |
447 | John Anthony | 1928–1938 | 35-foot Self-righting (Rubie) | Lifeboat station reopened again in 1928, but in 1938, the All-weather lifeboat was withdrawn and the station closed again |
Op. No. [lower-alpha 2] | Name | In service [26] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
B-506 | Unnamed | 1978 | Atlantic 21 | Inshore Lifeboat Station opened March 1978 |
B-538 | Lord Brotherton | 1978–1989 | Atlantic 21 | [27] |
B-576 | Ellis Sinclair | 1989–2002 | Atlantic 21 | [27] |
B-788 | Pride of Leicester | 2002–2016 | Atlantic 75 | [27] |
B-897 | Sheila & Dennis Tongue III [28] | 2016– | Atlantic 85 | [29] [30] |
Runswick Bay is a bay in North Yorkshire, England. It is also the name of a village located on the western edge of the bay. It is 5 miles (8 km) north of Whitby, and close to the villages of Ellerby and Hinderwell. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its picturesque cliffside village, stunning coastal walks, fossil hunting and Runswick Sands, a white sand beach. It is on the Cleveland Way national trail. Runswick Bay was chosen as Beach of the Year 2020 by The Sunday Times.
Porthcawl Lifeboat Station opened in 1860 and a boathouse was subsequently built on the promenade to house the lifeboat. This station was closed in 1902 when Porthcawl Dock was closed.
Appledore Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Appledore, Devon in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1825 and the present station was opened in 2001. It operates a Tamar-class all-weather boat (AWB) and an Atlantic 85 B Class inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Southwold Lifeboat Station is an RNLI operated lifeboat station located in the town of Southwold in the English county of Suffolk.
Rhyl Lifeboat Station is located in the North Wales town of Rhyl and is part of the RNLI. For over 150 years, the Lifeboat Crew in Rhyl have been saving lives at sea. The first lifeboat was stationed in the town in 1852 and the present station was opened in December 2001. The station operates a Shannon class all-weather boat (ALB) and an IB1 inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Hunstanton Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution operated lifeboat station located in the village of Old Hunstanton in the English county of Norfolk. This is the only lifeboat station on the east coast of England which faces westward, being positioned on the east side of the square-mouthed bay and estuary known as The Wash.
Brighton Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located in Brighton in the English county of East Sussex in the United Kingdom. It was originally established in 1825 as an all-weather lifeboat station. This lifeboat was withdrawn in 1931, and the station now operates as an inshore lifeboat station. As of 2012, the current lifeboat is the B-class Random Harvest (B-852).
St Agnes Lifeboat Station was opened in 1968 and is based in St Agnes, Cornwall, South West England. It is operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Aberystwyth Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in the coastal resort of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, West Wales. It was established in 1861, but there has been a lifeboat serving the town since 1843.
Flamborough Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located at Flamborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. There used to be two lifeboat stations at Flamborough; one on the north side of Flamborough Head, and on one the south side. Since 1993, the village has just one lifeboat station on the southern side of Flamborough Head. The station operates an ILB.
Bridlington Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station based in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Having been instituted in 1805, it is the oldest working RNLI lifeboat location in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Withernsea Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in the town of Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of four RNLI stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with another five in North Yorkshire.
The Humber Lifeboat Station originally was located on Spurn Point in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, but now is located in Grimsby. The station was one of nine Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat stations situated along the Yorkshire Coast and the most southerly of them all.
Scarborough Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) operated lifeboat station in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. A lifeboat was established at Scarborough in 1801, which makes it the third oldest lifeboat station in the United Kingdom.
Filey Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in the town of Filey, North Yorkshire, England. It is one of nine operational RNLI lifeboat stations situated on the Yorkshire Coast.
Whitby Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It is one of nine situated along the Yorkshire coast. Whitby has had a lifeboat station since 1802, with the RNLI responsible since 1861. In its 200 plus year history, Whitby has had five different lifeboat stations. A sixth lifeboat and station was located at Upgang, just up the coast from Whitby, and whilst it was considered separate from Whitby, it was crewed by men from the Whitby lifeboat.
Redcar Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station based in the town of Redcar in North Yorkshire, England. The station is the furthest north in Yorkshire.
Teesmouth Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station, situated on the mouth of the River Tees, South Gare, North Yorkshire, England. The lifeboat station had been operating at Teesmouth for 177 years when it was closed by the RNLI in 2006. The withdrawal of the lifeboat capability from Teesmouth was subject to much criticism from the local council and the volunteers who crewed the boat, but the RNLI stated that there was an over-provision of lifeboat cover on the north-east coast.
Runswick Bay Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire, England. The station was opened in 1866, with a sister station opening at Staithes nine years later. Staithes Lifeboat Station was closed in 1922, and barring another short period of operation at Staithes, Runswick Bay was a mainstay of lifeboat operations on the Yorkshire coast until 1978, when Runswick Bay was closed and Staithes was re-activated.
Robin Hood's Bay Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station, situated at Robin Hood's Bay, on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. The lifeboat station had been operating for just over 100 years intermittently when it was closed by the RNLI in 1931. The withdrawal of the lifeboat capability from Robin Hood's Bay was due to the Whitby lifeboat being able to be launched from Whitby, and into the bay at Robin Hood's Bay, before the bay lifeboat itself could be manhandled into the sea.